Gaharo Hill and the Bukeye washing station have consistently produced some of our favorite coffees from Burundi. This lot was created from day lots delivered between June 2nd and June 16th. In the cup we find plum, blood orange, and Earl Grey.
Field Blend
Muramvya
1,700 - 2,100 masl
May, 2022
Hand picked at peak ripeness. Floated and hand sorted to further remove defects; depulped on the day of harvest. Single-fermented dry for 12 hours. Rinsed in fresh water. Density graded. Dried on traditional African raised beds for 16-20 days until moisture content reaches 10.5%.
Gaharo is where the Long Miles Coffee Project began, and we have selected coffee from this hill many times over the years. Bukeye is the very first washing station built by Long Miles, and it rests at the foot of Gaharo Hill. The land was cleared by Gaharo farmers, and the bricks for its construction were collected in the valley below. The same farmers who helped build this special place now deliver their cherries to it.
Varieties in Burundi are not exactly straightforward. We know that Red Bourbon and Mibirizi are being cultivated; however, we don't know at what relative percentages. Based on the history of production in Burundi there is also most likely some SL34 being grown as well.
The Long Miles Coffee Project is the dream-become-reality of Ben and Kristy Carlson. The pair moved to Burundi in 2011 with a simple dream: Help coffee growers by helping roasters source consistently high quality coffees from Burundi. Their dream has grown from working with fifty coffee growers in 2013 to working with more than 5,500 at present. Long Miles has been extremely effective in helping to actualize Burundi’s natural potential for extremely high quality coffee, while also making an incredible impact socially, economically, and environmentally. Coffees from this project are some of our most anticipated of the year, and we are humbled and honored continue supporting their inspiring work.
The cost of getting a coffee from cherry to beverage varies enormously depending on its place of origin and the location of its consumption. The inclusion of price transparency is a starting point to inform broader conversation around the true costs of production and the sustainability of specialty coffee as a whole.